The Yellow Brick Road
The term Yellow Brick Road refers to a near mythical project long considered by the various Changeling freeholds of North America. Explained in the most direct way possible, the Yellow Brick Road is simply a network of maintained paths through the Hedge that connect Freeholds. The key idea behind the concept of the Yellow Brick Road however is that these pathways would be protected and safe for transit. Origin *The concept for a massive interconnected web of pathways connecting the Freeholds of the waking world had been considered by many for as long as there have been changelings. The first actual plans for such a system and serious considerations for how it could be accomplished were initially concieved in the Freehold of Iviolate Orchards (Manchester Conneticut) in the 1930's by a gifted Autumn Courtier named Genevive Trank. Trank actually took the time to plan out porposed routes the system would employ, using the shortest potential routes between well established Freeholds, locations most likely to keep the Hedge around them stable. *Trank's idea was considered interesting but it was largely dismissed due a combination of impracticticality and fear of making trails that the Others could find. The idea was eventually revisited in the 1950's by a Charismatic Spring king in the Freehold of Sacred Fathers (Boston Mass.). The King a young recently crowned revolutionary seeking to make a grand entrance to his rule was presented with Trank's initial notes by an advisor. The young King was intrigued by the concept but believed the idea could be pushed even further. The King became obsessed with the possibility that the road could not only allow safe travel through the hedge, but greatly ease the return of Changelings fleeing Arcadia. *The King became obsessed with the Idea of uniting all of the Freeholds of the world, a step that he felt would be the first step to liberation from the shadow of the Others. Presenting the concept to the Summer Court of the Freehold in this manner garnered their vocal support. WIth their blessing the King consulted a powerful Seer of Summer, a one Vivian Blanc, who spoke a series of Prophecies about the nature of the road should it ever be completed. These utterances drew heavily on the imagry found in the children's story, the Wizard of Oz, leading to the popular name of the idea. *Ultimately the plans of the Spring King would never be achieved. During his rule he made great strides towards building the road, but he ran into constant problems. Defending the road turned out to be far more than the Summer Court of one Freehold, even a powerful one, could accomplish. Additionally the Other's demonstrated a great interest in the project. Though Iron was brought into the hedge to use in the construction of the Road in hopes that it would ward away the Others, it served only to enrage them and further complicated the task. The Modern Yellow Brick Road *Boston allowed the plans for the Yellow Brick Road to sit idle for years after the repeated failures it experienced. The plan experienced a significant resurgence when the Prophecies of Vivian Blanc were rediscovered. The Monarchy of Boston, some time ago having reached a close accord with the Mages that so frequently based their affairs out of Boston, now had access to resources their forbears did not. It was additionally decided that investigators should be dispatched to other Freeholds and Changeling strongholds to determine what if any resources could be contributed by others to the success of the project. *Rather than building many branching paths from Boston outward it was suggested by Bostonian College of Worms that a single long stretch of road be constructed between Boston and a Freehold on the West Coast from which smaller daughter routes could branch. This revised take on Trank's original plans came to be referred to as the Route 66 initiative. San Francisco, being the most influential and powerful Freehold to be found on the West Coast was immediately suggested and envoy's dispatched. Complications A number of factors currently contribute to the concerns of the naysayers of the Road: *'The Mages:' The plan incorporates the intervention and assistance of the Mages of Boston intensly. Initially instigated in the hopes that it would fulfil a portion of Blanc's prophecy, the Mages have proven to be incredibly interest and conducive to the process. The Changelings have thus far relegated them largely to an advisory role, but the idea has none the less stirred the curiosity of the Mage community. Magisters have convened in Boston on several occasions to discuss the topic including representatives from Europe, and the Vodoun dominated city of New Orleans. *'The Others:' Numerous safeguards have been proposed to help ensure the safety of the Road and to help it act as a beacon to fleeing Changelings, these have ranged from direct application of Mage Witchcraft to constructions of Iron or Contractual magic and pledges. Presented with a vast plethora of options the Seasonal Monarchy of Boston has simply decided that it would be most prudent to simply use them all. The Prophecy of Vivian Blanc Miss Blanc demanded that the exact words of her recitations never be recorded, instead relying on the wordcraft of her scribe-apprentices to convey her meaning. Each of the three pupils produced a slighlty different copy of her meaning, what follows below is a merging of the most consistant major details conveyed by each. *'The Road Must Lead Home: '''Blanc determined that if the Road were completed, the symbolic nature it held in it would allow it to work as a beacon for Changelings fleeing Arcadia and attempting to return home. *'Only the Broken Shall Walk the Road of Yellow Brick:' Blanc claimed that when finished the nature of the road would be such that only a being who was inherently broken, flawed, or changed and who was also aware of that fact could walk along it and reach their desired destination. This is taken to indicate that the Road would have a natural preference towards Changeling travelers, as changelings recognize themselves as missing aspects of their former lives regardless of how they feel about their current existence. Some also take this to mean that the True Fae themselves would not be able to walk the road or pursue those on it. The reason given for this assumption is that while the True Fae could be considered deeply twisted or flawed creatures, they themselves can only mime this perspective of themselves. It has been suggested however that the Banished and the Exiled may be exceptions to this. *'One End of the Road, Must Lead one to See A Wizard:' Initially a point of contention this particular part of the prophecy is assumed to refer to Boston being one of the ends of the Yellow Brick Road. *'There Shall Always be a Witch, Near or Upon the Road: '''It would be a lie to say that this particular passage did not further cement the idea that San Francisco should be the other end of the Road in the minds of many of the Bostonian Monarchs. The Passage as recorded indicates that while the Witch would represent a danger, her presence would serves to supply a sort of safe guard against the tampering of the others.